At the time when the SAD-BJP Government in Punjab is facing criticism for imposing 11 per cent entry tax on sugar leading to an increase of `2 per kg on sugar, the saffron party on Monday created a flutter by claiming that it was “not consulted” in the decision.
State party president Kamal Sharma has maintained that the BJP was not consulted in the decision taken by the State Government to impose entry tax on sugar, while terming the same as “unfair”.
Sharma said that he would soon take up the issue with party’s high command as BJP was part of the Government in Punjab and should not have been kept in the dark on such an issue.
At the same time, he asserted that the BJP would press for the rollback of this tax.
The statement has once again brought to fore the waning relations between the two age-old alliance partners in the state. BJP, especially its ministers, have time and again blamed the SAD of taking important government decisions on its own without considering the BJP’s viewpoint.
In the past, the saffron party has several times demanded to go back on the decisions taken by the state government, of which four of its minister are part of, including property tax, among others.
Available information suggests that the BJP, before imposing the tax, had expressed its reluctance in imposing the entry tax on sugar. At that time, there was a proposal for 15 per cent entry tax.
Punjab Cabinet, on May 20, gave its nod to impose 11 per cent tax on sugar coming into Punjab from other states. The government is yet to issue notification in this regard.
The move was based more on the concern for cooperative and private sugar mills operating in the state which are running into huge losses. They also have unpaid dues amounting to almost Rs 700 crore.
While the sugar industry are happy over the development, the wholesale sugar traders are against the decision and are demanding to roll back the tax as it will prove a big setback for them.